Chinese-led Winning Consortium Simandou (WCS) has put workers on forced leave with the prospect of layoffs if a dispute with Guinea’s government over infrastructure for a massive iron project is not resolved, three sources told Reuters.

Guinea’s mines minister on July 3 ordered all work on the Simandou project – the world’s largest undeveloped iron ore deposit – to stop after WCS and Rio Tinto missed an extended deadline to agree on a joint venture with the government. That joint venture is intended to cover the rail and port infrastructure the companies will use to export the iron ore.

WCS forced workers to take one month’s leave, and if the project has not restarted after that, they will be laid off, one employee said, adding that the order to stop work came through at the last minute.

With Chinese demand cooked and supply set to boom, iron ore is entering a true dark age.